1. Managers were known to make cash on the side by selling much-coveted tables to the highest bidders.

2 The restaurant's opulent dining room has starred in numerous films, including Ghostbusters and Arthur.

3. Some of the topiary trimmed into submission by Edward in Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands was permanently displayed at Tavern on the Green before its 2009 closure.

4. It's well-known that Grace Kelly lunched at the restaurant and John Lennon celebrated his birthday there, but the less-publicized list of neighborhood regulars is endless: Robert DeNiro brunched in the garden regularly, and Al Pacino, who lived a few blocks away, often stopped in for hot chocolate or espresso. Regis Philbin and Brooke Astor frequented the joint for dinner, and Fran Drescher was known to enjoy a stroll in the gardens.

5. In 1976, new proprietor Warner LeRoy (the son of Mervyn LeRoy, The Wizard of Oz's legendary producer) constructed The Crystal Room, an infamous glass-enclosed structure overlooking the restaurant garden that doubled the seating capacity to 800. According to municipal codes, the expansion was illegal, but New York City was so cash-strapped at the time that it let the indiscretion slide in hopes of generating tourist dollars.

6. LeRoy was an infamous showman often likened to a circus ringmaster—he was best known for his paisley ties and outlandish suits, many of which were constructed from sequins, velvet, and/or taffeta.

7. Not everyone loved Tavern on the Green. Over 33 years, The New York Times reviewed the restaurant five times, and not once did it score more than one star on a four-star scale. Yet the restaurant soldiered lucratively onward; in its best year, revenue topped $38 million.

8. When the bankrupted restaurant folded in 2009, Donald Trump offered $20 million to revitalize it in exchange for a twenty-year lease. Michael Bloomberg never responded to the proposal.

9. In its heyday, the restaurant shuffled an estimated 700,000 diners through its lavish doors, with over 1,500 visitors each day. Here's hoping the new iteration can keep it up.